title: Subchronic toxicity study of corn silk with rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Corn silk is a traditional herbal medicine in China, which has been used in many parts of the world for the treatment of edema as well as for cystitis, gout, kidney stones, nephritis, prostatitis and similar ailments. However, there is little scientific evidence about its safety. As a part of its safety assessment, a subchronic toxicity was performed in this paper.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subchronic toxicity was investigated in male and female Wistar rats by dietary administration at concentrations of 0.5%, 2.0% and 8.0% (w/w) for 90 days. Overall health, body weight, food consumption, hematology, blood chemistry, organ weights, gross and microscopic appearance of tissues were compared between test and control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A number of significant differences were seen between groups, but none of them was considered to be adverse. Based on the present study, the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of corn silk is at least 8.0% which corresponds to a mean daily corn silk intake of approximately 9.354 and 10.308 g/day/kg body weight for males and females, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained in the present study suggest that consumption of corn silk has no adverse effects and support the safety of corn silk for humans.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition and Functional Food, Jilin University, Xi'an Road 5333#, Changchun 130062, PR China.
authors.forename: Cuina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tiehua
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Erlei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zuozhao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019055:No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level; D035261:Plant Components, Aerial; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal